Former Florida Gators quarterback decides his future that has fans reminiscing about his finest hour
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The 2015 season will go down as one of the biggest “what ifs” in Florida Gators history due to what happened with Will Grier.
Wednesday afternoon brought news that former Florida Gators quarterback Will Grier has retired from the NFL. He spent parts of seven seasons in the NFL after being a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Grier started two games in the 2019 season for the Carolina Panthers, losing both games. He completed 28-52 passes for 228 yards and four interceptions. He floated around as a backup and on practice squads for years, including multiple stints with the Panthers and Dallas Cowboys.
Will Grier retires from professional football
Grier will always be the biggest “what if” from Gators fans. He was the top quarterback in the 2014 recruiting class as a four-star quarterback out of North Carolina. He once threw for 890 yards and 10 touchdowns in a high school playoff game. Once he got on campus, Grier started to impress, and won the starting job.
Then, Grier had his big moment in The Swamp on a 4th and 14 against the Tennessee Volunteers. The Gators were down 27-21, and Grier hits Antonio Callaway on a deep curl, and he takes it 63 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
It was one hell of a play by both Grier and Callaway, and the Gators were thriving with him under center. Then came the one-year suspension for using a banned substance. He claimed it to be from an over-the-counter supplement, but the suspension stood, and it derailed the Gators’ season.
This wasn’t a suspension for a season, it was for a calendar year. He wanted to come back to the Gators, but then head coach Jim McElwain wasn’t willing to commit to Grier getting the job, so he chose to enter the transfer portal and went to West Virginia.
If Grier had stayed, the Gators would have been in a significantly better spot. He will always be the one who got away.
All the best to Grier in retirement.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Former Florida Gators quarterback decides his future that has fans reminiscing about his finest hour
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